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Non-Religious Funeral Readings
- Philosophy and Poetry for Secular Services
- Narrated by: Braxton Wilhelmsen
- Length: 51 mins
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Non-Religious Funeral Readings
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Publisher's summary
To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die. In recent years non-religious funerals have become more common, but without an established canon of texts to fall back on, it can be difficult to plan an appropriate service for a loved one who had no religious belief or connections. Texts recommended by secular humanists, especially modern texts, can sometimes sound trite or overly informal. This book, however, provides opening sentences, texts, and sentences for committal and/or dispersal from some of the greatest philosophers and writers in history including Marcus Aurelius, Plato, Christina Rossetti, Shakespeare and Rabindranath Tagore. They retain the solemnity, grandeur and dignity of the traditional language of Christian funerals found in the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer, but make no dogmatic references to religion, the supernatural or life after death; beliefs which many today do not or cannot hold. Instead, the texts offer a positive philosophical approach to death, and a celebration of the life and memory of the departed. This book will be suitable for anybody planning the funeral of a loved one, or for officiants at secular humanist funerals.
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-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 21
Written in alternating prose and poetry, La Vita Nuova is a profound reflection on the nature of love, devoted to Dante's muse Beatrice. Following Beatrice's death in 1290, Dante became obsessed with the young Florentine woman, whom he only ever knew from a distance. He believed his love for her was a form of divine love and saw her as an image of salvation itself - a theme that is later explored in his masterpiece The Divine Comedy, where she guides him through heaven.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A must
- By Barnaby on 11-15-20
By: Dante Alighieri
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The Consolation of Philosophy
- By: Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius
- Narrated by: Peter Wickham
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 40
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 37
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 37
Charged with treason under Theodoric the Great in sixth-century Rome, Boethius served one year's imprisonment, awaiting trial and eventual execution. During this time, he wrote The Consolation of Philosophy, which would go on to be one of the most popular philosophical works of all time, contributing much to medieval thought and influencing the likes of Dante and Chaucer, as well as Renaissance writers, such as Milton and Shakespeare.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The Bestseller for a 1000 Years
- By Ken on 02-05-22
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The Scarlet Plague [Classic Tales Edition]
- By: Jack London
- Narrated by: B.J. Harrison
- Length: 2 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 690
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 598
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 595
Twelve billionaires rule the United States, while those called freemen are forced to serve the rich. But that was 60 years ago, before the Scarlet Plague. In this post-apocalyptic novella, a ragged and tattered old man tells his progeny of what life was like before The Scarlet Plague appeared - and wiped out civilization as they knew it.
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5 out of 5 stars
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wonderful listen very relevant today!
- By Johnny on 12-02-17
By: Jack London
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Paradise Lost
- By: John Milton
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,561
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,322
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,319
John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny.
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5 out of 5 stars
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The most accessible reading of Paradise Lost
- By Tony McClung on 02-21-10
By: John Milton
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Plato's Phaedo
- By: Plato
- Narrated by: Ray Childs
- Length: 2 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 169
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 145
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Story5 out of 5 stars 146
Socrates is in prison, sentenced to die when the sun sets. In this final conversation, he asks what will become of him once he drinks the poison prescribed for his execution. Socrates and his friends examine several arguments designed to prove that the soul is immortal. This quest leads him to the broader topic of the nature of mind and its connection not only to human existence but also to the cosmos itself. What could be a better way to pass the time between now and the sunset?
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2 out of 5 stars
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The voice acting is horrible
- By Will Livingston on 03-25-21
By: Plato
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Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained
- By: John Milton
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 16 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 865
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 728
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 732
Paradise Lost, along with its companion piece, Paradise Regained, remain the most successful attempts at Greco-Roman style epic poetry in the English language. Remarkably enough, they were written near the end of John Milton's amazing life, a bold testimonial to his mental powers in old age. And, since he had gone completely blind in 1652, 15 years prior to Paradise Lost, he dictated it and all his other works to his daughter.
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5 out of 5 stars
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SELL YOUR SHIRT FOR THIS AUDIO BOOK!
- By thomas on 04-23-11
By: John Milton
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100 Quotes by Ralph Waldo Emerson
- By: Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Narrated by: Paul Spera
- Length: 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 34
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 27
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Story5 out of 5 stars 28
In his lifetime, Ralph Waldo Emerson was the most widely known man of letters in America, establishing himself as a prolific poet, essayist, popular lecturer, and advocate of social reforms. He was considered one of the great orators of the time, and his enthusiasm and respect for his audience enraptured crowds. As a poet and philosopher, he led the Transcendentalist movement, which professes the belief that everything in ouf world is a microcosm of the universe, and in the infinitude of individual man.
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Nostalgia
- Going Home in a Homeless World
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: Tom Parks
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 36
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 33
Alone among the creatures of the world, man suffers a pang both bitter and sweet. It is an ache for the homecoming. The Greeks called it nostalgia. Post-modern man, homeless almost by definition, cannot understand nostalgia. If he is a progressive, dreaming of a utopia to come, he dismisses it contemptuously, eager to bury a past he despises. If he is a reactionary, he sentimentalizes it, dreaming of a lost golden age. In this profound reflection, Anthony Esolen explores the true meaning of nostalgia and its place in the human heart.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Deep and thought provoking.
- By Holly Stockley on 04-24-19
By: Anthony Esolen
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I Know What to Do, So Why Don't I Do It?
- The New Science of Self-Discipline
- By: Nick Hall
- Narrated by: Nick Hall
- Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,480
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 1,295
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,282
You might think laziness, lack of willpower, and/or low motivation are to blame for the fact that you aren't achieving your goals. But fascinating research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology has revealed another, far more likely possibility. One with the potential to transform your life in a dramatic way.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Big Disappointment!
- By TP on 01-29-15
By: Nick Hall
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Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
- By: Marcus Aurelius
- Narrated by: Alan Munro
- Length: 5 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,149
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Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 1,835
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Story4 out of 5 stars 1,806
Meditations is former U.S. President Bill Clinton's favorite book. This audio consists of a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor 161-180 AD, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy.
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4 out of 5 stars
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The reading made it impossible to focus on content
- By Mark Grebner on 09-02-12
By: Marcus Aurelius
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Meditations
- By: Marcus Aurelius, George Long - translator, Duncan Steen - translator
- Narrated by: Duncan Steen
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 12,239
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 10,232
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 10,099
One of the most significant books ever written by a head of state, the Meditations are a collection of philosophical thoughts by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (121 - 180 ce). Covering issues such as duty, forgiveness, brotherhood, strength in adversity and the best way to approach life and death, the Meditations have inspired thinkers, poets and politicians since their first publication more than 500 years ago. Today, the book stands as one of the great guides and companions - a cornerstone of Western thought.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Excelent reading of an excellent classic
- By David on 10-22-16
By: Marcus Aurelius, and others
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The Greek Way
- By: Edith Hamilton
- Narrated by: Nadia May
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 309
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 249
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 246
Based on a thorough study of Greek life and civilization, of Greek literature, philosophy, and art, The Greek Way interprets their meaning and brings a realization of the refuge and strength the past can be to us in the troubled present. Miss Hamilton's book must take its place with the few interpretative volumes which are permanently rooted and profoundly alive in our literature.
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3 out of 5 stars
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...Not as Good as The Echo of Greece
- By The Masked Reviewer on 11-04-16
By: Edith Hamilton
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Letters to a Young Poet
- By: Rainer Maria Rilke, Stephen Mitchell - translator
- Narrated by: Stephen Mitchell
- Length: 1 hr and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 261
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 165
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 165
Ranier Maria Rilke challenges you, "...to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answers." Rilke's ability to combine the sensual and the spiritual into an inspired vision of the art of living is brought to vivid life in his letters. Through his eyes, the everyday difficulties of love, sex, solitude, sadness, and doubt are seen as the archetypal elements of the drama called life.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Priceless Recordings of Intense Feeling
- By David on 10-08-04
By: Rainer Maria Rilke, and others
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Nature
- By: Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Narrated by: Phil Paonessa
- Length: 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 102
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 86
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 85
This version of Nature is an 1843 revision to the popular essay written and published in 1836. In the original essay, Emerson put forth the foundation of transcendentalism and suggested that reality can be understood by studying nature. Within the essay, Emerson divides nature into four usages: commodity, beauty, language and discipline. These distinctions define how humans use nature for their basic needs, their desire for delight, their communication with one another, and their understanding of the world.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful Classic, rushed reading
- By Chris C. on 01-07-21
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The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux
- The Story of a Soul
- By: Therese Martin O.Carm., John Beevers - translator
- Narrated by: Sherry Kennedy Brownrigg
- Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 823
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 702
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 697
Sharing memories from early childhood through her life as a Carmelite nun, Therese opens her heart to us. This bride of Christ reveals her passion and longing for union with God. Her simplicity is charming and we begin to believe that we can travel the path to salvation that she points out to us.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Extraordinary Book on Love and Christian Mysticism
- By Bruce on 04-27-12
By: Therese Martin O.Carm., and others